Irina Skvortsova is a wonderful athlete, accustomed to easily cope with obstacles and win by all means. By tragic accident, this cheerful girl was forced to leave the sport and literally fight for her life. But she managed to survive and get out of a difficult situation with her head held high. We will tell more about Irina in this article.
Sports with diapers
Optimist, beauty and athlete Irina Olegovna Skvortsova was born in June 1988 in an ordinary Moscow family. Since childhood, actively involved in sports. At first, she became interested in sprinting, and, having achieved certain successes, ended up in the Moscow athletics team.
Later, again, together with representatives of the national team, the athlete was lucky to become an active participant in the summer sports day, during which she ran 200 m. This was the first triumph, as well as the indescribable feeling of excitement and pride that Irina Skvortsova felt for the first time. A little later, she will completely immerse herself in sports, but she will remember the first feelings and taste of victory for a long time.
This sturdy granite of science
During the beginning of her sports career, Irina easily managed to combine endless training and study at school. Of course, there were times when she simply physically did not have time to attend a particular lesson, but she easily compensated for the gaps in the school curriculum by doing self-training.
Almost immediately after graduation, the future bobsledder Irina Skvortsova passed the exams and was accepted to the first year of the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism.
While studying in 2008, she decided to move away from athletics and directly engage in bobsleigh. Education at the university has gradually faded into the background, and after a serious injury, the poor girl has ceased to interest at all. Later, she still will have to take exams, defend her thesis and, finally, be able to graduate from the university.
Beginning of bobsledder career
Not having achieved particularly impressive results in athletics, the girl, full of determination, took part in the new sports selection. According to her, it was organized by representatives of the Sochi 2014 young experimental team. To the surprise of the athlete herself, she managed to pass this selection. And a year later, in the role of “overclocking”, she got into the main team of the team.
Love to bobsled
“Speed and drive” is what, according to Irina, she felt during training. “Light wind and cold burning face” - Skvortsova “almost related” with them. She liked the abrupt descent, the mesmerizing bends of the track and the feeling of flying. “I just fell in love with this sport and our training bean, ” says Irina Skvortsova. The accident, which we will discuss later, had almost no effect on this “love at first sight”.
However, after she finally managed to get on her feet, the athlete continued her passion for bobsleigh and other extreme sports. According to her, she also liked figure skating, boxing and skiing. True, after the most serious injury that the girl suffered recently, Irina could only admire all this as an outside observer, not a participant.
Irina Skvortsova (bobsled): accident
Despite all her returns during training, Irina was never able to realize herself as an outstanding bobsledder. The blame for this terrible accident, which almost cost the girl life. The tragedy occurred in November 2009 in Königssee. It was there that Irina went with her team during the planned training races.
According to the girl’s story, nothing portended trouble. There was an ordinary training. The team was at the start and expected only the referee's team. And as soon as this signal arrived, the crew, which was Irina Skvortsova, began to move. However, due to a gross error of the judge, a bob in which male athletes were sitting simultaneously left the women's team.
As a result, a collision occurred. At the same time, practically no one was injured among both crews, with the exception of Irina herself, in whom the whole body was cut, fractured. In addition, her right leg was severely affected.
Hospital ward and doctors' disappointing forecasts
Immediately after the accident, Russian bobsledder Irina Skvortsova was first taken to a local hospital, and then transferred to a Munich hospital at the university. According to the girl, leading her to her homeland in the state in which she was at that time was very dangerous. Since there was a real threat to the athlete's life.
Irina was in the Munich clinic for about four months. During this time, the unfortunate and injured Skvortsova had to undergo more than 50 different operations, most of which affected a particularly injured leg.
According to her story, they managed to raise money for treatment at the expense of people who were not indifferent to her grief, sending their donations to a specially opened account. So, for three months of training, volunteers managed to save more than 500, 000 rubles. The government of her native country also contributed to the help of the Russian athlete.
Complete rehabilitation of Skvortsova
In March 2010, Irina discharged and was sent to Kizma, from where she arrived at the local rehabilitation center. As the doctors themselves said, admiring the strength of mind and patience of the girl, her case is unique. Indeed, with such an injury it is very difficult not only to recover morally, but it is very difficult to restore the former physical capabilities of the joints. And so Irina Skvortsova bobsleigh left, and also completely ended her sports career.
In addition, according to the forecasts of most experts, Irina could never get on her feet at all. But she could. She did it contrary to all medical logic.
In September of that year, the girl returned to her homeland, where she was immediately sent to the A. I. Burnazyan Federal Medical and Biophysical Center. There, she continued to carry out the rehabilitation procedures recommended by doctors, daily coping with intolerable physical pain.
However, step by step Irina Skvortsova (her photo can be seen in our article) was confidently moving towards victory. And progress was not long in coming. At first, the girl moved exclusively in a wheelchair. She later acquired crutches and began to walk with their help. And even later, she refused them altogether.
Protracted lawsuit
Immediately after the tragic incident, which almost became fatal for Irina, a complex and very lengthy lawsuit began. In this case, the same judge appeared on the dock - Peter Hell, who made a mistake in the calculations. Moreover, the process itself lasted about four years and ended in November 2013.
As a result of the trial, the court found the accused guilty and ordered him to pay a compensation fine to the victim in the amount of 650, 000 euros. Although initially, Irina and her lawyer insisted on much greater compensation. At that time it was about 3, 600, 000 euros.
By the way, this money also went to pay for the treatment and rehabilitation of the girl. “And although this is a real victory, ” says Irina Skvortsova, “it’s most offensive to realize that Peter Hell did not understand what his negligence led to.” According to her, he never tried to personally express condolences to the girl and did not even apologize.
Secular and television work
Despite all the trials that fell to the lot of the 27-year-old athlete, she managed not to lose her former optimism. Immediately after rehabilitation, she became a welcome guest in various information publications, where Irina was invited as the main character.
At one point, Skvortsova was incredibly lucky. She was noticed and invited to television. At first, she worked as a host on the Army Store show, organized by Channel One. Then she was invited to the alternative television channel "Russia-1", where she currently holds the position of editor and plans to master the profession of newsreader. In the near future, representatives of the channel itself say, Skvortsova will be able to lead the news channel together with Viktor Gusev.
